Machine for removing stems and caps from certain berries and fruits

ABSTRACT

The berries or fruits to be treated are caused to move in a spiral downwardly-extending path in constant contact with a series of individually rotating rollers forming the wall of a cylindrical drum assembly, while the cylindrical drum assembly as a whole is rotated on a vertical axis. The rollers in the cylindrical drum assembly are arranged in pairs with the rollers in each pair rotating oppositely and having cooperating surfacings so as to cause contacted stems and caps to be drawn between them and removed.

United States Patent McLauchlan [54] MACHINE FOR REMOVING STEMS AND CAPS FROM CERTAIN BERRIES AND FRUITS [72] Inventor: Robert D. McLauchlan, 1145 Lancaster Drive, Salem, Oreg. 9730i [22] Filed: June 29,1970

[21] Appl. No.: 50,732

[451 May 9,1972

Primary Examiner-Willie G. Abercrombie Attorney-L. R. Geisler [5 7] ABSTRACT The berries or fruits to be treated are caused to move in a spiral downwardly-extending path in constant contact with a series of individually rotating rollers forming the wall of a cylindrical drum assembly, while the cylindrical drum assembly as a whole is rotated on a vertical axis. The rollers in the cylindrical drum assembly are arranged in pairs with the rollers in each pair rotating oppositely and having cooperating surfacings so as to cause contacted stems and caps to be drawn between them and removed.

1 Claim, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAY 9 I972 3, 661 193 SHEET 1 UF 3 ROBERT D. MCLAUCHLAN INVENTOR.

PATENTEDMY 9 I972 SHEET 2 [IF 3 ROBERT D. MCLAUCHLAN INVENTOR.

ATT Y.

PATENTEDHAY 9 I972 SHhET 3 OF 3 ROBERT D. MCLAUCHLAN INVENTOR MACHINE FOR REMOVING STEMS AND CAPS FROM CERTAIN BERRIES AND FRUITS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The employment of pairs of cooperating rollers rotating toward each other for removing stems and caps or hulls from contacted berries or fruits is well known in the art. For example, devices having similar pairs of cooperating rollers operating in this manner are shown in U. S. Pat. No. 2,479,961, dated Aug. 23, 1949, and in U.S. Pat. No. 2,527,303, dated Oct. 24, 1950.

In the device of the first of the above mentioned patents the pairs of rotating rollers form a composite cylindrical drum assembly which rotates on a substantially horizontal axis, and the berries are delivered into the drum and pushed along through the drum by means of inclined plates. In the device of the second patent, the pairs of rotating rollers form a stationary arcuate roll bed, and a helical screw conveyor moves the berries along in the roll bed. A somewhat similar but improved device is described in a pending application for U.S. patent filed under date of May 26, I969, Ser. No. 827,614, entitled Device for Stemming Certain Berries and Fruits, in which the arcuate roll bed oscillates on a slightly downwardly-inclined longitudinal axis, and water sprays aid in causing the berries or fruits to travel along the roll bed. The present invention is a further improvement over the device described in this pending application.

In all of these devices, however, I have discovered that the fact that the axis of the drum assembly or roll bed assembly is either horizontal or slightly downwardly-inclined from the horizontal restricts the production capacity of the device, and that it is possible to treat a larger volume of berries or fruits during the same period of time in a more satisfactory manner,

and even with a relatively smaller device, if the drum assembly, formed by the pairs of rotating rollers, is mounted on a vertical axis and the berries or fruits moved downwardly in a spiral path in constant contact with the rollers.

Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a simplified, more efficient and more practical device employing a drum assembly mounted on a vertical axis and composed of a series of pairs of rotating rollers for engaging the contacted stems and caps or hulls of berries or fruits as the berries or fruits move in a downwardly-inclined path along the composite cylindrical wall of the drum. A related object is to provide a device for removing stems, caps or hulls from herries or certain fruits in which any possibility of injury to the berries or fruits is practically eliminated, and in which even ripe, juicy strawberries can be safely and satisfactorily handled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A cylindrical drum assembly, rotating on a vertical axis, has its composite cylindrical wall formed by a series of pairs of rollers. The rollers in each pair are rotated oppositely with respect to each other while the drum assembly as a whole rotates, and the rollers in each pair have surfacings which cooperate to pull the stems, caps or hulls from the berries or fruits when these are contacted by the rollers. A guideway is provided for causing the berries or fruits to move along in constant contact with the pairs of rollers. One side of this guideway is formed by a spirally-arranged bafi'le extending downwardly from the top to the bottom along the drum assembly. The rollers of the drum assembly constitute the opposite wall of the guideway. Thus the berries or fruits, when delivered into the top of the guideway, have constant effective contact with the rollers while passing down along the guideway in rapid succession.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the machine with one of the stationary, rigid upright outer frame members broken away for clarity;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section taken through the machine on line 22 of FIG. I, drawn to a larger scale;

. FIG. 3 is a foreshortened sectional elevation taken on the line indicated at 33 in FIG. 2 but drawn to a larger scale;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section on line 4 -4 of FIG. 3, drawn to a larger scale, with portion broken away to show the cooperating, working surfaces on the rollers of each pair;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken on line 5- 5 of FIG. 3, drawn to a larger scale;

FIG. 6 is an elevation of the gear sleeve keyed on one of the rollers of each pair, drawn to the same scale as FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a corresponding elevation of the gear sleeve keyed on the other roller of each pair;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary elevation illustrating a strawberry traveling downwardly in the machine and showing the position of the strawberry at the moment when its stem and hull come into contact with a pair of rollers; and

FIG. 9 is an illustrative fragmentary horizontal section on an enlarged scale taken through the stern and hull of the strawberry at the time of engagement by the pair of contacted rollers.

A rotating cylindrical drum assembly, indicated as a whole by the reference 10 (FIGS. 1,2 and 3), is rotatably supported on a vertical shaftll (FIG. 3). The shaft I1 is supported in a rigid, stationary frame comprising a bottom plate 12, a top plate 13 (FIGS. 1 and 3) of the same size and shape as the bottom plate 12, and a plurality (thus 3 in the device illustrated) of upright frame members 14 having their ends rigidly secured to the top and bottom plates respectively. I

The bottom plate 12 is formed with an upwardly-extending boss 12 (FIG. 3) surrounding an aperture for receiving the bottom end of the drum shaft 1 l, and the shaft 11 is secured in the same by a set screw 15. The top plate 13 has a corresponding downwardly-extending boss 13 in which the top end of the shaft 11 is held.

The drum assembly 10 includes a circular lower plate 16 (FIGS. I and 3) and an upper circular plate 17 of slightly larger diameter but coaxial with the lower plate 16. A plurality of bolts 18 (FIG. 3) carrying spacing sleeves l9 secure the lower and upper plates of the drum assembly together in spaced relationship. The lower plate 16 of the drum assembly has a central aperture which accommodates a shouldered bearing ring 20 extending around the shaft 11 on which the drum assembly is rotatably supported, and the upper plate 17 of the drum assembly carries a bushing 21 surrounding the stationary shaft 11.

The periphery of the upper plate 17 of the rotating drum assembly is provided with teeth 22 (see also FIG. 2) which mesh with a gear wheel 23 (FIG. 1) on a downwardly-extending shaft carried by a reduction gear assembly 24 driven from a motor M mounted on the top plate 13 of the stationary frame.

The cylindrical wall of the drum assembly is composed of a series of pairs of cooperating, oppositely-rotating rollers. One of the rollers 25 of each pair (FIGS. 3 and 5) consists of a shaft 26 having an enlarged diameter portion 27 which extends on the shaft 26 for substantially the distance between the lower and upper plates 16 and 17 of the drum assembly. The surface of this enlarged diameter portion 27 is formed with a series of longitudinally-extending ribs and valleys. The bottom end of the shaft 26 in each of these rollers 25 is mounted in a bearing 28 (FIG. 3) extending through an aperture in the lower plate 16 of the drum assembly. The shaft 26 continues upwardly beyond the enlarged diameter portion of the roller and passes first through a corresponding bearing 29 in an aperture in the upper plate 17 of the drum assembly.

The other roller 30 in each pair consists of a shaft 31, preferably of the same diameter and length as the shaft 26 of the roller 25, on which is mounted a surfacing 32 of ribbed, resilient material, such as rubber, formed with longitudinallyextending ribs and valleys, corresponding to the surfacing on the enlarged diameter portion 27 of the companion roller 25, and this surfacing 32 extends the same length and has the same major external diameter as the enlarged diameter portion 27 of the roller 25. The bottom end of the shaft 31 of the roller 30 is similarly mounted in a bearing 33 extending through an aperture in the lower plate 16 of the drum assembly. The shaft 31 continues upwardly beyond the surfacing 32 and passes first through a bearing 34 in an aperture in the upper plate 17 of the drum assembly. The apertures in the lower and upper plates 16 and 17 of the drum assembly for the shafts 26 and 31 of the rollers in each pair are so arranged that the corresponding ribs on the surface of each of the rollers of each pair will enter the valleys on the surface of the companion roller of the pair respectively as the pair of rollers are rotated at the same speed, but in opposite directions, in the manner later explained.

A cylindrical member 35 (FIGS. 1,2,3 and 4) is secured on the upper plate 17 of the drum assembly by bolts 36 and is coaxial with the plate 17. The member 35 has an inwardly-extending top flange 35 (FIGS. 2,3 and formed with apertures for receiving the top end bearings 29 and 34 of the shafts 26 and 31 respectively of the rollers 25 and 30 of each pair.

On each of the shafts 26 for the rollers 25 a sleeve 37 (FIGS. 3, 5 and 6) is keyed and is positioned between the upper plate 17 of the drum assembly and the flange 35 and extend substantially over the space between the plate 17 and flange 35'. These sleeves 37 have external gear teeth extending the entire sleeve length. A stationary gear plate 38 has its periphery provided with teeth which mesh with the gear teeth on the sleeves 37. The stationary gear plate 38 has a central aperture to accommodate the drum shaft 11 and a set screw 39, carried in a boss 38, secures the gear plate in place on the stationary shaft 11. Thus, as the drum assembly is rotated, (driven by the gear wheel 23 through operation of the motor M as previously mentioned), the rollers 25 on the drum assembly will be separately rotated due to the engagement of the teeth on their sleeves with the peripheral teeth on the stationary gear plate 38.

A sleeve 40 (FIGS. 3,4,5 and 7) having the same length as the sleeve 37, is keyed on each of the shafts 31 for the other rollers 30. However, these sleeves 40 do not have gear teeth meshing with the gear plate 38. Their gear teeth 40' are located only at the upper end of each sleeve and are so arranged that they mesh only with the upper ends of the gear sleeves 37 of the companion roller in each pair, being of the same diameter. Consequently, the rotation of the roller 25 of each pair in turn produces rotation of the other roller 30 of the pair, the two rollers in each pair rotating at the same speed but in opposite directions. As previously mentioned and as illustrated in FIG. 4, the rollers 25 and 30 in each pair are so constructed and arranged and interconnected by the gear teeth that the high points or ridges on the large diameter portion 27 of each of the rollers 25 and on the surfacing 32 on each of the rollers 30 will enter the valleys on the opposed surface of the companion roller in each pair respectively as the two rollers of the pair rotate at the same speed but in opposite directions. As shown best in FIG. 4, the spacing between the axes of the rollers 25 and 30 in each pair is slightly less than the spacing between the axis of each roller and the axis of the adjacent roller on each side of the pair in the cylindrical drum assembly.

A stationary inwardly and downwardly sloping baffle plate 41 (FIGS. 1 and 2) in the form of a spiral, extends around the cylindrical drum assembly 10 approximately from top to bottom of the drum, spaced very slightly from the pairs of rollers 25 and 30 forming the composite cylindrical wall of the drum assembly. This spiral baffle plate is rigidly secured to the upright frame members 14 of the outer frame structure.

The baffle plate 41, in combination with the rollers forming the composite cylindrical wall of the drum assembly, thus forms a guideway down which the berries or fruits to be treated by the machine pass, the berries or fruits being delivered through an inlet chute 42 (FIG, 2) leading to the top of the guideway. After traveling down the guideway the berries or fruits are discharged through an outlet chute 43.

The berries or fruits move along down the guideway in constant contact with the respective rotating rollers of the rotating drum assembly, and during their travel assume various positions until at one point or another in their travel they come into the relative position illustrated by the berry B in FIGS. 8 and 9, in which position the stem, hull or cap will be in immediate contact with a pair of cooperating rollers which then act to draw the stern, hull or cap in between the cooperating rollers pulling them free from the berry or fruit. The lower plate 16 (FIG. 3) of the rotating drum assembly is provided with a circular row of holes 44, and the bottom plate 12 of the supporting frame similarly is provided with a circular row of holes 45, so as to allow the stems, hulls or caps, removed from the berries or fruits, to pass down out of the machine.

The rotation of the composite drum assembly (clockwise as viewed in FIG. 2 and 4) combines with the downward inclination of the spiral path along which the berries or fruits pass so as to cause the berries or fruits to move fairly rapidly from the intake to the outlet of the spiral guideway. Consequently, it has been found that, even with a drum assembly of much shorter axial length than the corresponding composite drums or troughs of the devices in the patents mentioned at the beginning of the specification, a comparatively larger volume of berries or fruits can be treated in the same period of time. Furthennore, the berries or fruits are not tumbled about inside a rotating drum assembly, as in the case of the device in U.S. Pat. No. 2,479,961, for example, nor are they subjected to any mechanical thrusting element to force them on their way past the rollers, as in 'the case of the device of U. S. Pat. No. 2,527,303, for example. Consequently, even very ripe, juicy strawberries are handled in the machine of this invention without being mutilated or in any way rendered unfit for the market. At the same time, while the berries or fruits are moving rapidly down along their spiral path, they roll into various positions while being constantly contacted by the rollers of the drum assembly, with the result that they do not fail to be brought at least once during their travel into the position illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 in which the stems and hulls or caps will be seized by the rollers of one pair. Thus the likelihood of a single berry or fruit passing through the machine without receiving the desired treatment is practically eliminated.

I claim:

1. A machine for removing stems and caps from certain berries and fruits consisting of a stationary frame, a composite cylindrical drum assembly in said frame, a vertical shaft in said frame, said drum assembly rotatably supported on said shaft, a top plate and a bottom plate in said drum assembly, means rigidly securing said top and said bottom plates together in spaced relationship, a composite cylindrical wall in said drum assembly consisting of a series of pairs of rollers on vertical shafts with their axes in circular alignment, the rollers of each pair having cooperating similar interfitting surfaces of longitudinally-extending ribs and valleys, bearings for the bottom ends of said roller shafts in said bottom plate, bearings for said roller shafts in said upper plate, said roller shafts extending upwardly beyond said latter mentioned bearings, means for rotating said drum assembly, a stationary gear plate above said upper plate, a ring of gear teeth on said stationary gear plate coaxial with said drum assembly, the shaft for one of said rollers in each of said pairs of rollers having gear teeth meshing with said gear teeth on said stationary gear plate, the shaft for the second of said rollers in each of said pairs of rollers having gear teeth located entirely above said stationary gear plate and meshing with the gear teeth on said fust mentioned roller in each of said pairs of rollers, whereby the rollers in each of said pairs of rollers will be rotated in unison in opposite directions with the rotation of said drum assembly, the spacing of said roller shafts in said drum assembly being such that each of said pair of rollers will be driven independently of the other pairs, a guideway for berries and fruits leading downwardly around said drum assembly from top to bottom, a stationary spiralshaped, inwardly and downwardly sloping baffle extending about said drum assembly slightly spaced therefrom forming the outer wall of said guideway, said rollers constituting the inner wall of said guideway, an intake for receiving berries and fruits at the top of said guideway, and a discharging outlet at the bottom of said guideway.

* 4- m w r 5 

1. A machine for removing stems and caps from certain berries and fruits consisting of a stationary frame, a composite cylindrical dRum assembly in said frame, a vertical shaft in said frame, said drum assembly rotatably supported on said shaft, a top plate and a bottom plate in said drum assembly, means rigidly securing said top and said bottom plates together in spaced relationship, a composite cylindrical wall in said drum assembly consisting of a series of pairs of rollers on vertical shafts with their axes in circular alignment, the rollers of each pair having cooperating similar interfitting surfaces of longitudinally-extending ribs and valleys, bearings for the bottom ends of said roller shafts in said bottom plate, bearings for said roller shafts in said upper plate, said roller shafts extending upwardly beyond said latter mentioned bearings, means for rotating said drum assembly, a stationary gear plate above said upper plate, a ring of gear teeth on said stationary gear plate coaxial with said drum assembly, the shaft for one of said rollers in each of said pairs of rollers having gear teeth meshing with said gear teeth on said stationary gear plate, the shaft for the second of said rollers in each of said pairs of rollers having gear teeth located entirely above said stationary gear plate and meshing with the gear teeth on said first mentioned roller in each of said pairs of rollers, whereby the rollers in each of said pairs of rollers will be rotated in unison in opposite directions with the rotation of said drum assembly, the spacing of said roller shafts in said drum assembly being such that each of said pair of rollers will be driven independently of the other pairs, a guideway for berries and fruits leading downwardly around said drum assembly from top to bottom, a stationary spiral-shaped, inwardly and downwardly sloping baffle extending about said drum assembly slightly spaced therefrom forming the outer wall of said guideway, said rollers constituting the inner wall of said guideway, an intake for receiving berries and fruits at the top of said guideway, and a discharging outlet at the bottom of said guideway. 